1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle occupant safety apparatus including an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, such as an air bag. In particular, the present invention relates to an air bag module including a sheet material element for directing inflation fluid into a folded air bag to cause a predetermined portion of the air bag to inflate first.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to inflate an air bag to help protect an occupant of a vehicle in the event of sudden deceleration such as occurs in a vehicle collision. The air bag is stored in a deflated condition, together with an inflator, in a housing adjacent to the vehicle seat in which the occupant sits. The inflator, when actuated, provides a large volume of inflation fluid to inflate the air bag into a position to help protect the vehicle occupant.
An air bag for helping to protect an occupant of a front seat of a vehicle in the event of a frontal collision to the vehicle is typically stored in the vehicle instrument panel. The air bag inflates upward and rearward into a position between the vehicle occupant and the vehicle instrument panel to help protect the vehicle occupant. A portion of the inflating air bag may contact the vehicle windshield and transmit a large amount of force to the vehicle windshield. It is desirable to control inflation of the various portions of the air bag in order to inflate the air bag in a manner so that it does not damage the windshield.